


The Secret Chord

by faithharkness



Series: Diversions [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: AU-everybody lives, Aftermath of Torture, F/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 06:26:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5956993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithharkness/pseuds/faithharkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe Dameron is still having trouble sleeping after Starkiller.  Jessika Pava is a good bro.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Secret Chord

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Leonard Cohen's _Hallelujah_.

Poe jerked as someone tapped on the canopy of his X-wing. Sighing, he released the canopy and looked into the worried face of Jessika Pava.

“Again?” she asked.

“Would you believe I was doing maintenance and fell asleep?”

“Nope. They ratted you out,” she replied, aiming her thumb back at BB-8, who rested a few feet away, looking as apologetic as a droid could.

“BB-8 is overprotective,” he huffed.

“BB-8 figured out how to reroute past your protocols. They should be congratulated. _After_ you get some sleep.” She sniffed. “And a shower.”

“You gonna wash my back, Testor?”

She smacked him on the top of his head. “I am being a good friend. Don’t be a shit.”

Poe slumped in his seat. “I’m sorry, Jess,” he said, rubbing his forehead.

“I know you are. Wanna talk about it?”

He laughed sharply. “Oh, a whole, wide, bright universe of no.”

“Good. I didn’t want to spend any more time in this hangar tonight anyway. Come on, let’s go see what holy terror Snap has reared in the hothouse,” she said, ruffling his hair.

“The last time you suggested that, I ended up with a mildly sentient plant,” he grumbled as he eased himself out of the cockpit.

“I miss Percy the Poesy,” Jess said as they exited the hangar.

“I do not.”  
****

“He looks like I did,” Rey commented. She and Jess were standing in the doorway to Finn’s room, watching Poe nap in a chair, fitfully.

“Yeah, well, he’s stubborn like you.”

Rey glared at her without any real malice. Since Poe and Jessika had taken it upon themselves to make sure she was settling in and taking care of herself, she was rarely alone. And while she was grateful for their friendship and the genuine affection they seemed to have for her, she was afraid to get too close; afraid they would be ripped away from her like so many others she had cared for. She had seen the dark circles under her eyes and the sharpness of her cheekbones when she caught her reflection in the refreshers ( _refreshers! With as much water as you wanted to use!_ ) during those early days; she knew what Poe’s appearance meant.

“Is there anything we can do?”

Jess eyed the young woman. “I’ll take care of him if you can stay here with Finn.”

Rey put her hand on Jess’ arm. “I’d really like to help. He’s been kind to me.”

“He’s a good guy. The best. But he wouldn’t want you to lose any sleep out of obligation. I’ve got this.”

Rey’s fingers tightened on Jess’ shirt. “It’s not obligation. I like him. He’s…he’s my friend. You’re both my friends.”

Jess caught the break in Rey’s voice as she spoke. She knew from their conversations over the past few days that Rey had been alone for most of her life. 

Jess put her hand over Rey’s and squeezed. “I think he’d be very glad to hear that. I know I am.”

“What can we do?”

Jess grabbed a spare blanket from the foot of Finn’s bed and spread it gently over Poe. She slid a hand through his hair and pressed a kiss against his forehead. Poe hummed and snuggled further down into the blanket.

“Come on,” Jess whispered as she straightened. “That’ll settle him for a little while and we can go talk.”  
*****

“Come on, flyboy, up you go,” Rey said softly, shaking Poe’s shoulder.

“We’re all flyboys,” he muttered, sliding down to bury the lower half of his face in the blanket.

“It’s Jess’ turn to sit with Finn. You need to get some real sleep.”

“I’m fine.”

“Lies,” Jess said, pulling the blanket off of him.

Poe cracked an eye open to glare at her. “You are a terrible person.”

Jess wrapped the blanket around her arms. “Yep. Now, shoo.”

“I’ve got it,” Poe said, sharply, as Rey tried to help him up.

“Dameron!” Jess scolded.

Poe rubbed both hands over his face, harshly. “Sorry. I’m sorry. Bad dreams. All the beeping noises were off-rhythm.”

Rey held out her hand to him. “Come on, let’s go get some caff. We can swing by the hangar and get BB-8. The medical droids won’t let them in here and they miss you.”

Poe took her hand and hefted himself onto his feet. “That sounds nice,” he said, yawning.

Rey smiled over her shoulder at Jess as they left the room; Jess winked in response.

Poe was almost asleep on his feet as he and Rey navigated the halls to the pilots’ wing. She shifted Poe’s weight against her side—thankful for the extra boost the Force gave her—as she pressed his hand to the lock on his door.

“Hmmm? I thought we were going to the hangar,” Poe said as Rey pulled him into his room.

“We can do that later. General Organa has a strict policy of not letting semi-conscious pilots near the ships,” she said.

Rey led him to his bed and eased him down onto it. He was sound asleep before she finished removing his shoes. She covered him with a blanket and then settled into a chair to wait.  
*****

 _Burning, tearing, ripping. No one was coming. No one could come. Don’t give in. Don’t tell. He’ll kill you anyway. Protect. Protect. Finish the mission. Oh, Maker, it_ hurts. _Don’t tell. Don’t—_

“No!” Poe cried, sitting up in bed.

“Shh, shh, it’s all right. You’re safe. You’re safe.”

Poe struggled for a moment against the arms holding him. One arm was across his chest, pulling him back against a warm body as a hand slipped through his hair.

“What?” he gasped.

“I’m sorry. I tried waking you.”

He took a deep breath and turned his head, finding it was Rey holding him. His head rested against her shoulder. He patted the arm against his chest.

“No, I’m sorry. Thank you for trying.”

He sat up, trying to free himself from her embrace, but she only moved with him. She shifted her weight, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. Her arms slipped down to wrap around his waist.

“It’s terrifying, having your mind torn into like that,” she said, softly.

He stiffened slightly before relaxing against her. “It is.”

She leaned back in the bed, tugging him with her. “Go back to sleep. I’m here.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I know,” she said, settling against him so his head was again on her shoulder. She began to hum.

“Where did you learn that tune?” he asked.

“Jess,” she said.

He closed his eyes against the welling tears. “Damn it.”

Rey chuckled and then began to sing.

Poe fell asleep; and when the nightmare of Kylo Ren tore into his dreams, he was beaten back by a high, sweet voice singing a lullaby against the darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> I am a giant _Dune_ nerd. I am also a huge fan of Brian Tyler's. So in my head, the lullaby is the _Inama Nushif_ from the _Children of Dune_ miniseries. But feel free to imagine whichever lullaby you choose as you picture Rey comforting Poe through the night.


End file.
